


One Night

by cynicalwerewolf



Series: A Clarification of Life [1]
Category: Changeling: The Lost, The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-06-18
Packaged: 2017-12-15 09:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynicalwerewolf/pseuds/cynicalwerewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unusual night out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Night

**Author's Note:**

> This story arc occurs in the same universe as _The Wyrdness That is Life_. The primary changelings (aside from Peter) are all my cousin's characters.

With a pretty smile from Neko at the Cyclopean bouncer, Neko and Fidget walked into the Emerald Dawn, the main gathering place for changelings of the Spring Court and their hangers on. Even though the season was summer, the place was still swinging. Fidget’s eyes grew wide, and Neko grinned, then sighed as Fidget tried to burrow into her side. 

“Fidget,” she said, “No one here’s going to…” her voice trailed off as she spotted an oddity. Normally the entire room was packed uniformly, or at least it had been every time she’d been here when there wasn’t a formal Court occasion going on. This time there was a noticeable avoidance of the bar on the far side of the room. The table in that corner was unoccupied and the only person at the bar was a Bright One she’d seen a couple of times in passing.

“What?” Fidget asked.

“There’s something weird going on here,” Neko said. “Come on, I can see Ty. He should know what’s going on.”

As she moved around the dance floor towards the back of the club, Fidget close by her side, she heard some comments that disturbed her.

“…Well, I think King Dexter should have banished the lot of them at the very least…”

“…Honestly, the very idea that one of _ours_ would…”

“…Queen Lila should stick it to the Autumn Court and cut the two out of our Court…”

“…Really, a little ignoring is mild compared to what the Summer Court wants…”

“…They’re going to bring down the Lords and Ladies on our heads…”

“…Should cut off their hands and heads with a rusty axe!”

Cringing at that last opinion, expressed by a particularly vicious Summer Court Moonborn who was thought to be a militia member, Neko, with Fidget trying to disappear, managed to reach Ty. The Winter Court Draconic was cringing as well. “Sorry about everything,” Ty said softly, “I chose the worst time to ask you both to come here.”

“What’s all this about?” Neko asked.

Ty sighed and adjusted the hedgespun goggles he always wore about his neck. “You saw the Bright One at the bar when you came in, right?” After they both nodded, he continued, “That was Peter Venkman. He and the other two members of his motley just started a business to rid people of unwanted specters.”

Fidget looked puzzled, “I don’t understand. Why does that lead to…” he gestured to the hostile club.

Ty explained to the newcomer to changeling society, “In itself, it’s not bad, but there are nasty rumors circulating about what they’re going to do with these spirits. Everything from destroying them completely, including the human ghosts, to enslaving them, to sending them to the True Fae as gifts. The Autumn Court has been trying to quash rumors, but, as you can see, they’re not having much effect. About the only thing that saved them was that the entire Autumn court threatened to desert if they were banished or physically harmed in any way.”

Looking at the visibly depressed Bright One, Neko frowned, and said, “Stay here. I’m going to go talk with him.”

Pushing determinedly through the mob in the direction of Venkman, she was warned several times, don’t approach him, you don’t know what he’ll do, he’s dangerous, etc., etc. Plunking herself down behind him, she said, in her brightest voice, “Hi!”

Glancing at her only enough to see her kith, he said, gruffly, “Go away, kitten. If you’re here to call me traitor, privateer, or spit in my face, I can live without it. If you’ve come to talk to me, I’m social poison right now. Either way, you don’t need to be here.”

Neko shuddered briefly, and said, “First, don’t call me kitten. Second, I thought you could use a friend.”

He gave her a sideways glance, and said, “I’ve already got two friends, and right now they’re the only Lost I trust.” Glaring at the bartender, who was obviously refusing to serve him, he continued, more to himself than to her, “I don’t even know why I came here tonight. I guess I was hoping…”

Bracing herself, Neko said, “Well then, I though you could use a friend who wasn’t a member of your motley. C’mon, what could you do that’s so bad that’s not bad enough that your head’s not decorating an iron spike?”

With a sigh, Venkman said, “Apparently, getting rid of nuisance ghosts and other spirits and placing them in a unit designed to give them a restful equivalent of sleep and possibly even help them to move on is the moral equivalent of privateering. Who knew!”

She blinked, “Has anyone explained that that’s what you’re doing?”

“Yes,” he ground out, “Several times. Quite loudly. Ray and Egon both told me I was nuts, going out to a changeling bar tonight…Guess I proved them right.”

“Well,” Neko said, “It could be worse.” When he actually turned to stare at her, she smiled, “You could have gone to a Summer or Winter Court gathering place. This shows you’re just crazy, and not suicidal.”

While the quip wasn’t especially funny, Venkman let out a bark of laughter. His expression warming fractionally, he said, “You’re all right, kid. What’s your name?”

“Neko Iino,” she returned promptly. “I already know yours, but who are Ray and Egon?”

For the first time since she’d seen him, a genuinely pleasant expression lit Venkman’s face, “Ray and Egon are the best friends anyone could ever hope to have…” Within five minutes she’d heard all about how Venkman had met Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz, and within fifteen she was telling him about Ty and Fidget. She had no idea how he managed to get that out of her, she wasn’t usually one to spill her secrets to the first stranger she spoke with. Even if the stranger _was_ a quite handsome man…

As the band started a fast piece, Venk-Peter, she corrected herself, shook his head, glanced around at the club that hadn’t become any less hostile towards him, and sighed. “Well, it’s been fun, but I really should be going.”

As he made motions to stand up, she said, “Not before I get a dance! This is my favorite band!”

He smiled at her, and said, “You’re a bit too young for me, Little Cat. I don’t hit on them until they reach twenty-one.”

She made a pfft noise, and said, “I’m not talking marriage, sex, or even slow dancing. I’m asking for one quick dance, and then I’ll go off with my friends. Besides, you came here to dance, and it seems a shame that no one else is smart enough to go for you.”

This time, his laugh was genuine, “Little Cat, you’re good for my ego.” He stood up, and gave her a flourishing bow, “Very well, one dance.”

The dance was over quickly, and Peter headed for the door. Before he left, he gave the club a frosty look and said, “If any accidents happen to Neko Iino, or her friends, be aware that I’m telling Egon and Delphia about them. It would be distinctly unfortunate for anyone who harmed them, wouldn’t it?”

As he swept out, I knew that while I hadn’t made myself popular with the Spring Court, I had gained a powerful protector in the form of Delphia, the Queen of the Winter Court, and a known unpredictable factor in the form of Egon Spengler.

And I was owed a favor by Peter Venkman. While his star was currently setting, I suspected it would be good to have him on my side.


End file.
